Justified

1	Senorita 4:54
2	Like I Love You 4:43
3	(Oh No) What You Got 4:31
4	Take It from Here 6:14
5	Cry Me a River 4:48
6	Rock Your Body 4:27
7	Nothin' Else 4:58
8	Last Night 4:47
9	Still on My Brain 4:35
10	(And She Said) Take Me Now 5:31
11	Right for Me 4:29
12	Let's Take a Ride 4:44
13	Never Again 4:34

Barnes & Noble

From the moment 'N Sync dropped their bubblegum-pop debut in 1998, it was obvious that blond charmer Justin Timberlake would be the boy band's breakout star. Four years later, Timberlake finally kicks off his solo career with 2002's surprisingly soulful, R&B-and hip-hop-drenched Justified. Vocally, the Tennessee native sounds more than ever like his idol, Michael Jackson, most noticeably on the pulsating, Neptunes-produced single, "Like I Love You," where Timberlake even yelps à la Jacko. In all, the Neptunes helped craft about half of the disc's 13 songs, including the string- and-synth-laden "Last Night" and the disco-inspired "Rock Your Body." For the rest, Timberlake looked primarily to hip-hop kingpin Timbaland, who applied his trademark techniques to the slinky, bass-heavy club thumper "(And She Said) Take Me Now," featuring Janet Jackson, and the dramatic, synth-and-beat box-accented original "Cry Me a River," on which a wronged Justin -- who puts his own lyrical stamp on most of the songs -- takes potshots at an ex, possibly Britney Spears. In his shimmering falsetto, he sings: "You don't have to say what you did/I already know/I found out from him." Oops, looks like Brit did it again. While Justified is obviously conceived as a springboard to grown-up, international superstardom, Timberlake doesn't completely forsake his core audience, closing the disc with the syrupy, Brian McKnight-produced ballad, "Never Again," on which he once again bemoans lost love. " 'Forgive me' says that I should give you one more try/But it's too late/It's over now," he coos, and one can already imagine an accompanying, sepia-tone video astride the TRL countdown. Whether he's singing the teen-pop breakup blues or conjuring images of Jackson in his prime, Timberlake assures that his ascent to solo stardom is more than Justified. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

With his debut solo album, Justified, Justin Timberlake borrows from Michael Jackson, from the Thriller-era getup and poses to the sharply modernized spin on the classic Off the Wall sound. To be sure, the sound of the Neptunes productions which dominate Justified is the best thing about the album; they have a lush, sexy, stylish feel that is better, more romantic than most modern R&B. Timberlake is a technically skilled vocalist, with a smooth falsetto. The songs are pretty on the surface -- apart from some flop Timbaland productions (which he redeems with the slinky funk of "Right for Me"), the sound of Justified works well. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rolling Stone

The Neptunes' brilliant, impertinent, full-body funk is, for the most part, what stays with you from Justified; their songs, spacious and shot through with ecstatic aaahs, outshine their neighbors on the album. Ben Ratliff

Entertainment Weekly

His smooth falsetto is an easy fit for the slinky quirks and rhythmic accents of the Neptunes and Timbaland, who produced the bulk of the album. [B] David Browne

Daily News

In most tracks, springy beats and original sound effects give the songs surprising texture and distinction. Jim Farber